I feel like the idea for this ask came out of nowhere, but do you view Sora as devoted to her loved ones (like Yamato, for example)? And if yes, to what level?
(I’ve been going through older asks in my inbox. I hope the original anon sees this!)
The answer to this question isn’t as obvious as one might expect. It made me think!
Iit’s clear that Sora is very devoted to her loved ones. As her Crest states, represents the quality of Love/Affection — she’s the big sister, the caring one, the one who takes care of others and who provides almost maternal warmth and compassion. Piyomon, her chirpy, doting, lovey-dovey partner, represents this side of her personality.
But there is another dimension to Sora’s character. Even though she is friendly, attentive, and nurturing, she is uncomfortable with love. At the start of the first series, in particular, we see that Sora struggles with being demonstrative and with receiving open displays of affection. She believes she doesn’t know the meaning of “love” and acts strong. Compare how Sora verbalizes her feelings in contrast with more emotional characters like Taichi, Yamato, Mimi, or Miyako, for example — she is more in control of her emotions, to the point when comes across as reserved, even aloof.
Sora expresses affection by doing things for others, by supporting others — not necessarily by showing how she feels, and certainly not by talking about it.
This isn’t healthy, since Sora hides and even denies her need to love and be loved, and then can feel depressed and angry when others take her for granted, or when she feels she is neglecting herself by focusing on others too much. She can even become overbearing. In a weird way, both the Dark Cave scenes and tri.’s Chapter 4 show this “darker” side more clearly.
To add to that, Sora has an independent and rebellious streak in her personality. Again, look at her partner’s element (a bird — symbol of freedom) and even her name, which means sky. The symbolism is too on-the-nose to be ignored. She’s someone who tends to put group morale and others’ needs ahead of her own, but she also struggles with this role and isn’t immune to the pressures it brings. Much of Sora’s conflict is that the impulse to be selfless goes against the desire to be her own person, and that she can’t be healthy if she represses either of those facets.
To give just one example, I don’t think there’s a coincidence that Sora is best friends with Taichi. At the start of Adventure, you don’t get the impression that this a relationship where these two would dissect feelings in a complex way. Sora and Taichi understood each other almost telepathically, and their mutual affection was unspoken. So, for Sora, it was a “safer” space where she didn’t need to think about her deeper feelings, her relationship with her mum, or her own insecurities — although she still felt a need to be by Taichi’s side and to support him unconditionally. This makes it it fascinating to see as the relationship advances and they both are forced to confront deeper emotional stuff in order to understand each other better and grow up, and Sora’s fear of losing Taichi. Even in 02 and tri., they still have trouble communicating their emotions directly to each other. Sora cares deeply for Taichi, yet as they leave childhood behind they do start to drift apart slowly. As Sora becomes more comfortable with her emotional side, she starts to explore new possibilities in her life, that respond to her need to focus on her self and to feel free. In my view, this shows how Sora’s devotion to others works best — when she can accept that she loves for others and is secure that she is loved back, and yet doesn’t let this get in the way her individual freedom.
So, Sora cares deeply for others. But there is always a certain emotional detachment there.
(This analysis was inspired by readings about the Enneagram — she’s a classic Type 2 —, and also me toying with the possibility that we were wrong all along and Sora is supposed to be an Aquarius in canon. It’s always fun to try and type these characters!)
